Akbar and the Jesuits. Miniature from Akbarnama by Narsingh, c. 1600-03.

The Deep Roots of Mughal Tolerance

Under Akbar, the Mughal Empire instituted a policy known as sulh-i kull, which called for amicable reconciliation and tolerance toward all religions.
On the right high heeled black leather shoes with a colourful hand sewn design. On the left a patent leather high heeled court shoe with a perforated trim, c. 1925

Who Patented Patent Leather?

This history of patent leather is as murky as its finish is glossy.
Marston Matting in Sant'Angelo in Formis, Italy

Archaeology of the October Cuban Crisis

A contemporary archeology project studying the remains of the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962 reveals the human face—literally—of the conflict.
President Lyndon B. Johnson addresses the Nation, announcing a bombing halt in Vietnam and his intention not to run for re-election, 1968

All The Way With LBJ?

In March 1968, US President Lyndon B. Johnson announced he would neither seek nor accept the nomination of the Democratic Party. That wasn’t the whole truth.
Jack Trice with his team.

The Death of Jack Trice

On October 6, 1923, Iowa State tackle Jack Trice lined up for the second half of a college football game. No one’s sure what happened in that third quarter.
Advertisement for Carrier Room Air Conditioning, circa 1947.

Staying Cool: Helpful Hints From History

Take a look back at how others have survived—and thought about—the high heat of summer.
A lion tamer in Ancient Rome

Foreign Magic in Imperial Rome

Roman ideas about witchcraft were often associated with distant regions, including India and the Kush kingdom in northeast Africa.
Drive in movie theater

The Enduring Drive-In Theater

Even as televisions spread across the American landscape, the drive-in movie theater grew in popularity in the years following World War II.
A Geisha with an open fan

Geishas for Enlightened Motherhood

In the Meiji period, geisha embraced the nation’s modernizing project, helping to improve education for women and promoting a western-style domestic ideal.
A colorized photograph of Abraham Lincoln in February of 1865

Abraham Lincoln’s Labor Theory of Value

Abraham Lincoln was no Marxist, but his ideas about the relationship of labor and capital mirrored Marx’s in some ways—albeit with a rural American flavor.